Purpose

The primary purpose of a Chapter is to provide AIB members of a particular geographic area with opportunities for the exchange of ideas, for the presentation of research, for professional contacts, and for discussion of matters of mutual interest and concern at times and places convenient to members of the chapter, provided they do not conflict with the AIB Annual Meeting. The welfare of the chapters and of the AIB as a whole should both be promoted.

Formation

A new chapter may be formed when the AIB Executive Board approves a petition of 15 or more members for recognition. All petitioners must work or reside in the geographic area indicated in the proposal for the new chapter, and they must have paid AIB dues for the year of petition.

Activities

Normally, chapters will engage in the following activities as well as in related ones:

Recruiting new AIB members.

Holding annual meetings whether singly or in conjunction with other academic or professional associations.

Communicating among chapter members through newsletters, proceedings and other

Liaising with other academic
associations and research bodies in their geographic area.

Working with other organizations interested in the advancement of international business scholarship, education and practice.

Providing a regular and orderly transition among chapter officers.

Membership

An AIB member's primary chapter affiliation is with the chapter whose geographic definition includes the place where the member works or resides, or of one chapter of his/her choice as notified in writing to the AIB Executive Secretary. A chapter's activities are open to all AIB members, but AIB members may vote or hold office only in their primary chapter.

B. THE CHAPTER CHAIR

Selection

Each chapter shall be chaired initially by an appointee of the AIB Executive Board, who works or resides in the geographic area of the chapter. Subsequent chairs are nominated by the chapter's officers, elected by the chapter's membership according to the chapter's Constitution and Bylaws, and approved by the AIB Executive Board. Beyond this role, each chapter is free to have as many official positions as necessary to carry out its mission. However, the key officers of a chapter should work or reside within its geographic area.

Term of Office

Unless stipulated otherwise in the chapter's Constitution and Bylaws, the usual term of office for a chapter chair is three years.

Removal

The Chair of the AIB Chapter Coordination Committee (see below), with the approval of the AIB Executive Board, can request a chapter's officers to replace its Chair for reasons of inactivity, negligence, violation of the AIB Constitution and Bylaws, or lack of AIB membership.

Replacement

Should a chapter chair be unable to serve on account of such events as a sabbatical leave or illness, either that chair or another officer of the chapter must inform the Chair of the AIB Chapter Coordination Committee of that fact within thirty days. It is also the responsibility of the chapter to nominate a replacement for approval by the AIB Executive Board.

C. CHAPTER GOVERNANCE

Chapter Constitution and Bylaws

Each chapter shall operate in accordance with the AIB Constitution and Bylaws as well as the present Chapter Guidelines, possibly modified on account of local legal requirements. A chapter's Constitution and Bylaws may contain additional provisions approved by the chapter's membership, provided such additional provisions are not in conflict with the above AIB governance documents.

The founders of a new chapter will promptly form a committee to draft a constitution and bylaws for their chapter and to develop a slate of nominees for the chapter's Executive Board. The new chapter's Constitution and Bylaws and the slate of nominees are to be voted on by the chapter's membership; and a copy of these chapter documents shall be provided within thirty days to the Chair of the AIB Chapter Coordination Committee for review and approval by the AIB Executive Board.

Any subsequent changes to a chapter's Constitution must receive an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the voting membership of the chapter. Changes to the chapter's Bylaws must receive an affirmative vote of not less than fifty percent of the voting membership of the chapter. Such changes must be promptly submitted to the Chair of the AIB Chapter Coordination Committee for review and approval by the AIB Executive Board.

Relations with the AIB Executive Board

The Chapter Chair's normal communication channel with the AIB Executive Board is through the AIB Executive Secretary. All chapter requests, plans, reports and other key documents will be sent in due time to the AIB Executive Secretary for diffusion to the AIB Executive Board and to the AIB Chapter Coordination Committee (see below).

The AIB Executive Secretary will provide chapter chairs with regular information about chapter membership as well as with mailing lists or mailing labels.

Chapter officers should not commit the Academy of International Business in any legal, financial or moral manner, without express and advance permission of the AIB Executive Board. In particular, Article I of the AIB Constitution restricts the use of AIB intellectual-property resources, such as its name and logo.

D. CHAPTER FINANCING

Financial Resources

It is expected that the academic or professional institution housing the chapter and its chair will support them with adequate services, supplies and other contributions.

The levying of dues for chapter membership is expressly prohibited.

The chapters, through conference fees and sales of proceedings, are expected to recover associated costs plus additional operating expenses for the year. However, at the discretion of the AIB Executive Board, chapters may receive financial support for their activities, following a request to the AIB Executive Secretary for such funding.

Budgeting and Disbursing

The Chapter Chair shall submit, through the AIB Executive Secretary, an annual budget for AIB Executive Board approval not later than three weeks prior to the AIB Annual Meeting. This budget should preferably be balanced.

Chapter surplus funds may be carried over to the following year. However, the AIB Executive Board may, from time to time, request the remittance of such surplus funds to the AIB Executive Secretary.

Any bank account opened and maintained on behalf of a chapter must have at least two current chapter officers as signatories, although the AIB Executive Secretary may be designated by the chapter as one of these signatories.

E. CHAPTER REPORTING

Records and Reports

The AIB Executive Board and, in some cases, regulatory and fiscal agencies require the AIB Executive Secretary to maintain complete and permanent records of AIB activities, including those of its chapters. The following requirements reflect a need for both information and reasonable oversight on the part of the AIB Executive Board:

An annual report of the chapter's activities shall be provided in writing to the AIB Executive Secretary not later than three weeks prior to the AIB Annual Meeting.

An annual budget for the following calendar year shall be provided in writing to the AIB Executive Secretary not later than three weeks prior to the AIB Annual Meeting.

A full accounting of calendar-year revenues and expenses shall be submitted in writing to the AIB Executive Secretary not later than February 15 of the following year, together with the necessary documentation, as specified by the AIB Executive Secretary.

F. CHAPTER MEETINGS

The AIB Executive Board encourages chapter meetings open to all AIB members as well as to prospective members and other interested parties, contingent upon payment of a reasonable registration fee - preferably the same fee for everybody. All participants listed in the program should be strongly encouraged to join the AIB.

Chapter meetings should not be held within the three-month period bracketing the AIB Annual Meeting, unless special permission is granted by the AIB Executive Board prior to the announcement of the chapter meeting.

Chapter meetings may be held in cooperation with other academic and professional associations, provided the ethical integrity and independence of the AIB are properly maintained (see Article II of the AIB Constitution) .

Chapter chairs or their delegates shall be responsible for the organization and conduct of chapter meetings. They shall establish the meeting place and date for the meeting, and submit this information, including a Call for Papers, to the AIB Newsletter for timely publication.

The AIB Executive Secretary shall assist in publicizing and promoting chapter meetings. Upon request, the AIB Executive Secretary shall furnish at no charge a copy of the AIB mailing list or mailing labels for use in promoting such meetings, or will assist in mailing the Call for Papers to chapter members.

The Chapter Chair or his/her delegate is responsible for collecting registration fees and proceedings charges, and for paying all expenses associated with a chapter meeting. .

G. AIB CHAPTER COORDINATION COMMITTEE

Purpose

This committee serves in an advisory and oversight capacity to the AIB Executive Board on matters related to the internal governance, activities and financial standing of duly approved chapters.

Membership

The AIB Vice-President Administration will chair this committee as the principal coordinating officer for the chapters, and as their liaison person to the AIB Executive Board in matters of concern to the chapters. The AIB President, the AIB Executive Secretary and the AIB Membership Director also serve on this committee.

Duties

This committee addresses chapter issues that have an impact on the entire Academy. It reviews the status and functioning of all chapters, aiming at reviewing three chapters a year on a revolving basis.

Meetings

This committee's meetings are generally held in conjunction with those of the AIB Executive Board. Matters that must be addressed between AIB Executive Board meetings are handled by correspondence and other forms of communication between the Chapter Chairs, the AIB Vice-President Administration and the AIB Executive Secretary.

All chapter chairs or their duly appointed representatives are invited to the
meetings of the AIB Chapter Coordinating Committee, besides attending the
assembly of chapter chairs organized at the time of the AIB Annual Meeting.